We*hs.yn  tA.Q.fta\U6a.cJ 
Repots 


185S> 


Library 

OF  THE 

University  of  NortH  Carolina 

This  book  was  presented  by 

MfS.3.tV\<lDo>A4G.tl 


Co  355.1  -  VS(  5£pl 


Doc.  No.  34.] 


[Ses.  1858-'9. 


Ordered  to  he  Printed. 


Holden  &  Wilson,  Printers  to  the  State. 


REPORTS  OF  THE  PRESIDENT  AND  CHIEF  ENGIN- 
EER OF  THE  WESTERN  NORTH-CAROLINA  RAIL- 
ROAD  COMPANY. 


<3 


Office,  Western  N.  C.  R.  R.  Co.,  } 
Morganton,  Nov.  6,  1858.       j 

My  Dear  Sir  :  Your  favor  of  the  1st  instant  has  been  re- 
ceived, and  I  hasten  to  furnish  the  information  you  desire. 

The  Iron  on  our  road  has  been  laid  from  Salisbury  to  States- 
ville,  a  distance  of  26  miles,  and  the  road  is  completed,  equip- 
ped and  in  full  operation  to  the  latter  point,  transporting  the 
mail  and  passengers  daily  in  connection  with  the  mail  trains 
on  the  N.  C.  R.  R.  The  universal  testimony  borne  by  per- 
sons capable  of  judging,  is  to  the  effect  that  it  is  in  every  as- 
pect a  road  of  the  very  first  class,  as  far  as  the  same  has  been 
completed,  and  does  not,  I  think,  exceed  in  cost  the  original 
estimate  at  the  time  of  location. 

The  grading  from  Statesville  to  the  Catawba  river,  a  dis- 
tance of  thirteen  miles,  is  completed  and  ready  for  the  iron, 
with  the  exception  of  one  or  two  sections,  and  will  be  entire- 
ly finished  by  the  1st  of  January  next.  The  masonry  on  that 
part  of  the  line  is  likewise  finished,  with  the  exception  of  a 
single  viaduct,  which  will  be  completed  by  the  same  time. 

The  grading  and  masonry  from  the  river  to  a  point  near 
"  Hale's  Store,"  a  distance  of  sixteen  miles,  is  in  a  state  of 


-  Document  No.  34.  [Session 

much  forwardness,  and  will  be  completed  early  in  the  spring. 
The  iron  has  been  purchased  for  laying  the  track  to  the  point 
near  "  Hale's  Store,"  within  twenty -three  miles  of  Morgan  - 
ton,  and  will  be  received  in  time  to  renew  the  operation  of 
laying  track  by  the  1st  January ;  but  that  operation  may  be, 
and  is  likely  to  be  postponed  until  the  spring  opens,  with  a 
view  to  avoid  the  danger  of  imperfect  construction  occasioned 
by  freezing  weather  in  winter,  and  also  to  allow  the  road- 
bed time  to  settle.  I  feel  assured  that  the  iron  will  be  laid 
and  the  road  in  full  operation  to  a  point  within  twenty-three 
miles  of  Morganton,  by  the  1st  day  of  November  next,  if  not 
earlier 

The  residue  of  the  line  to  Morganton,  twenty-three  miles, 
is  under  contract,  and  the  grading  and  masonry  thereon  is 
progressing  with  despatch.  The  contract  provides  for  the 
completion  of  the  road  to  Morganton  by  the  1st  of  January, 
1861,  but  the  indications  are  that  the  work  to  that  place  will 
be  consummated  within  the  time  specified,  probably  by  mid- 
summer of  1860 ;  indeed  I  am  satisfied  that  no  more  delay 
will  ensue  in  the  progress  of  the  work  on  the  line  than  ought 
to  occur,  in  order  to  secure  a  good  and  safe  road-bed—a  sus- 
pension of  the  laying  of  iron  at  the  point  near  "Hale's"  du- 
ring the  winter  of  1859-'60,  or  perhaps  at  a  point  some  miles 
west,  would  be  the  part  of  wisdom  whatever  may  be  the 
progress  of  grading  at  that  time,  and  a  renewal  of  the  opera- 
tion of  track  laying  the  succeeding  spring,  will  complete  the 
road  to  Morganton  by  the  earliest  time  indicated  above. 

An  actual  location  has  been  made  of  the  line  of  the  second 
section  from  Morganton  to  a  point  10  miles  east  of  the  west- 
ern portal  of  the  Swannanoa  tunnel,  and  the  estimated  cost 
thereof  is  being  calculated  with  a  view  to  open  books  <*«-r  ;)- 
dividual  subscriptions  as  directed  in  our  amended  charter ; 
the  line  thus  located  is  even  more  favorable  in  point  of  cost 
than  was  anticipated ;  the  surveys  were  again  made  across 
the  mountain  section,  accurately  surveyed  and  the  location 
made,  and  the  cost  is  now  being  estimated  in  order  that  the 
same  may  be  laid  before  the  next  General  Assembly. 

I  am  gratified  in  stating  that  an  actual  location  of  the  line.. 


-V 


1858-'9.]  Document  No    31.  3 

of  the  mountain  section  has  reduced  the  whole  aggregate  of 
tunneling  to  half  a  mile — the  main  tunnel  included,  besides 
reductions  of  costs  in  other  respects,  thus  proving  beyond  all 
question  that  the  Swannanoa  route  is  the  cheapest  railway 
route  ever  located  across  the  Alleghanies. 

I  have  instructed  the  Chief  Engineer  to  address  you  from 
Salisbury,  giving  some  further  particulars  connected  with  the 
progress  of  the  work,  and  especially  the  results  of  our  late  sur- 
veys on  the  line  not  yet  in  progress  of  construction. 

Any  expression  of  favor  towards  our  road  on  your  part  con- 
tained in  your  forthcoming  message  will  be  highly  apprecia- 
ted by  our  people. 

With  great  respect, 

Your  obedient  servant. 

R.  C.  PEARSON,  Preft. 

To  Gov.  Bragg. 


Chief  Engineer's  Office,  Western  N.  C.  R.  R., 
Salisbury,  N.  O,  Nov.  11th,  1858. 
To  His  Excellency,  Thomas  Bragg, 

Governor  of  N orth- Carolina : 

Sir  : — At  the  instance  of  the  President  of  this  Company,  I 
am  induced  to  comply  with  your  requisition  upon  him,  to 
furnish  a  statement  touching  the  progress  and  present  condi- 
tion of  the  Western  North-Carolina  Railroad,  together  with 
the  probable  time  required  for  the  completion  of  the  First 
Section  to  the  town  of  Morganton. 

I  do  not  propose  to  enter  into  any  elaborate  report,  but  to 
present  such  a  brief  statement  of  facts  as  will  give  you  the 
information  desired,  which  I  take  great  pleasure  in  submit- 
ting. 

The  First  Section  extends  from  Salisbury  to  Morganton, 
and  is  75.6  miles  in  extent,  but  for  convenient  reference  sub- 
divided into  two  Divisions,  the  first  extending  from  Salisbury 
to  Hale's,  the  terminus  of  the  First  Section,  under  the  original 
Charter,  and  is  52.2  miles  long;  the  Second  Division  extend- 


4  Document  No.  34.  [Session 

ing  from  Hale's  to  Morganton,  a  distance  of  23.4  miles,  and  is 
the  terminus  of  the  First  Section,  under  the  amended  Charter. 
The  gradation  of  the  first  37  miles  of  the  First  Division  ex- 
tending from  Salisbury  to  the  Catawba  River  has  been  com- 
pleted, except  at  three  several  points  West  of  Statesville,  and 
these  will  probably  be  finished  before  the  1st  January,  1859  ; 
the  remaining  portion  of  the  First  Division  of  the  First  Sec- 
tion, a  distance  of  18  miles,  including  a  branch  of  3  miles  to  the 
town  of  Newton,  has  about  two-thirds  of  the  work  done,  and 
will  be  completed  early  next  year. 

The  masonry  on  the  entire  First  Section  extending  from 
Salisbury  to  Hale's,  55.2  miles,  including  the  branch  to  New- 
ton, has  been  completed,  except  the  bridge  at  Catawba  River, 
where  there  is  one  pier  only  yet  to  build.  The  iron  has  been 
laid  down  for  25  miles,  the  distance  between  Salisbury  and 
Statesville ;  the  road  is  therefore  completed  between  those 
two  points,  and  for  the  purposes  of  the  road,  sufficiently 
equipped  with  Locomotives  and  other  rolling  stock,  and  Cars 
successfully  running,  carrying  freight  and  passengers,  with  the 
United  States  Mail  daily. 

The  cross-ties  are  being  laid  down  West  of  Statesville,  and 
at  an  early  day  we  shall  resume  the  laying  down  of  the  iron. 

It  is  intended  to  push  forward  the  track-laying  as  vigorous- 
ly as  possible,  so  that  its  completion  to  Hale's  is  confidently 
anticipated  before  the  next  annual  meeting  of  stock-holders 
on  the  27th  of  August.  The  entire  Second  Division  of  the 
First  Section  has  been  let  to  Charles  F.  Fisher,  Esq.,  for 
completion.  He  now  has  a  large  force  of  hands  employed, 
both  on  the  grading  and  masonry,  which  it  is  expected  will 
be  greatly  increased  after  the  1st  of  January,  1859.  The  con- 
tract for  this  work  provides  for  its  completion  by  the  1st  of 
January,  1861,  and  we  have  no  great  reason  to  suppose  that 
its  completion  will  be  dela}red  beyond  that  time. 

The  location  of  the  Second  Section,  extending  from  Morgan- 
ton  to  the  base  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  a  point  ten  miles  East  of 
the  Western  portal  of  the  Swanannoa  Tunnel,  as  well  as  the 
Third  Section,  has  just  been  completed.  Estimates,  maps  and 
profiles  of  these  Sections  are  now  being  made,  and  will  be 


1858-9.]  Document  No.  34.  5 

submitted  at  an  early  day,  for  which  I  respectfully  ask  your 
earnest  consideration. 

The  annexed  tables  showing  the  actual  cost  as  compared  with 
the  original  estimate,  the  amount  of  work  done,  the  amount  of 
work  to  be  done,  as  well  as  the  total  cost  of  the  First  Division 
of  the  First  Section,  as  ascertained  up  to  this  time,  are  res- 
pectfully presented.  By  reference  to  them  the  fact  appears 
that  after  allowing  a  small  margin  of  $10,000  for  contingen- 
cies, the  First  Division  of  the  First  Section  of  the  Western 
North-Carolina  Railroad  will  be  completed  for  a  sum  less  than 
the  originally  estimated  cost : 

STATEMENT 

Showing  the  estimated  cost,  and  the  actual  cost  of  the  Grading, 
Masonry,  Bridging  and  Superstructure  on  25  miles  of  road 
extending  from  Salisbury  to  Statesville. 

ESTIMATED    COST ORIGINAL   ESTIMATE. 

For  Graduation,  Masonry,  Bridge,  Superstructure 

and  Cross-ties, 304,380.76 

Ten  per  cent,  for  Contingencies, 30,138.07 

Iron  for  Superstructure,    and  laying   down    the 
same, 185,023.00 

Total, $519,841.83 

ACTUAL   COST FINAL   ESTIMATE. 

For  Graduation,  Masonry,  Bridge,  Superstructure 

and  Cross-ties, 302,076.57 

Iron  for  Superstructure,   and  laying  down   the 

same, " 182,102.00 

Land  Damages, 9,975.90 

Lime  and  Cement, 5,000.00 

Total, $499,154.47 

Total  by  Original  Estimate, $519,841.83 

Total  by  Actual  Cost, $499,154.47 



Difference, $  20,687.36 


Document  No.  34. 


[Session 


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lS5S-'9.]  Document  No.  34.  .    7 

The  estimates  for  the  Second  and  Third  Sections  are  based 
upon  the  same  data  and  made  up  from  information  derived 
in  the  same  manner  as  the  estimates  on  the  First  Sections. 
The  cost  of  the  work  on  the  Western  end  of  the  road  is  no  more 
difficult  to  ascertain  than  the  cost  of  the  Eastern  end.  Then 
is  it  not  fair  to  infer,  that  if  the  First  Division  of  the  First  Sec- 
tion can  be  completed  for  a  sum  less  than  the  estimated  cost, 
that  the  entiie  road  may  be  completed  and  put  in  running 
order  for  its  estimated  cost  ? 

I  have  the  honor  to  be, 
Very  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servant, 

JAMES  C.  TUEXEE, 
Chief  Eng.  W.  Hf.  C.  E.  R. 


Photomount 

Pamphlet 

Binder 

Gaylord  Bros. 

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PAT.  JAN  21,1908 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


j^fasi 


00042071480 

FOR  USE  ONLY  IN 
THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  COLLECTION 


\ 

OJ 

to 


Form  Wo.  /A-368,  Rev.  8/95 


